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Rick Gevers & Associates

Friday, May 9, 2014 UPDATE:

Congratulations to another news director turned General Manager.

Roark

ADRIENNE ROARK, who’s been the ND of CBS o-and-o KTVT-TV in Dallas for the past 4+ years, is headed to Portland, OR, to become General Manager of Lin Media’s KOIN-TV there. The station has been without a GM and News Director for the past few months. Adrienne’s also been an ND at another CBS o-and-o, WFOR-TV in Miami. You can learn more about her background by clicking here.

Adrienne becomes the second large market Texas ND to head to a GM’s job at a station without a news director, following DEBORAH COLLURA, who, as you know from our UPDATE earlier this week, is headed to WCNC-TV in Charlotte. And her departure now means TWO CBS o-and-o’s are looking for a new news departure. WBZ-TV is the other, following JOHN VERRILLI’s departure earlier this year.

Our complete newsletter, which will be full of news, will likely be delivered later this weekend.

Another Monday, May 5, 2014 UPDATE!:

We don’t often offer you TWO updates in the same day, but I felt that this news warranted that.

Caputo

Longtime Chicago newsman GREG CAPUTO announced his retirement today, effective in June. He’s been the ND for WGN-TV in the Windy City since 2003. During his career, he also spent three years as ND for WBBM-TV and was the first ND for WFLD-TV when that Fox station began news in 1986. He also served as ND for Tribune’s Boston station, WLVI-TV, spent three years as Corporate Director of News for Malrite Communications, which owned stations in Cleveland and Cincinnati. Greg’s also worked in South Bend and Pittsburgh.

Learn more about his background in this item from longtime Chicago media reporter ROBERT FEDER.

Also today, longtime news director SHANE MORELAND was named ND of KWWL-TV in Waterloo, IA.

It’s already been a busy week…we’ll have a full newsletter at the end of the week,

Monday, May 5, 2014 UPDATE:

Collura

Today’s surprise comes from Charlotte, where longtime Post-Newsweek executive DEBORAH COLLURA has been named General Manager of Gannett’s WCNC-TV, the NBC affiliate there. Deb is currently VP/News for Post-Newsweek and Managing Director of News for the company’s Houston property, KPRC-TV. She first joined the company as ND of WDIV-TV in Detroit in 1997 and moved to Houston in 2011. Deb’s also been a News Director in Miami and Minneapolis. She’s also worked in Sacramento, Albany, St. Louis, and Rockford, IL.

Among her first tasks in Charlotte will be to find a news director. That job’s been open since CORRIE HARDING left in February to take a job with NBC in New York.

We’ll have all the week’s news in our full report this weekend.

regards,

Rick Gevers

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Greetings:

A news director opening in the number one market leads our report this week as a longtime ND at the Univision station leaves her job. And we have THREE new news directors to introduce you to, all were promoted from within the station.

Our list of open ND jobs stands at 25.

We have a paid ad for ONE of those jobs, one of THREE ads in this week’s report.

And just one item in Names in the News this week. Please send me news about you, your colleagues, or your station to: rick@rickgevers.com

Read on!

New News Director Openings:

WXTV, New York, NY…NORMA MORATO has left this Univision o-and-o after 13 years as news director. Media Moves has the details in this story. Norma started her career at WXTV more than 30 years ago. She left to become ND for WJNU-TV, the Telemundo station serving New York. She later worked at WCBS-TV, CNBC, 20/20, and Consumer Reports.

And while not a new opening, I’d like to call your attention to the opening at WOI-TV in Des Moines/Ames, IA, which is re-running its ad for the ND opening there. You can see that below.

Newly Named News Directors:

WLTV, Miami, FL…DANIEL MORCATE has been promoted to ND for this Univision station. He’s been the interim ND since December when EMILIO MARRERO left the station. Daniel had been with Univision Network News for more than 20 years.

Thouvenot

KMOV-TV, St. Louis, MO…congratulations to BRIAN THOUVENOT who’s been promoted to News Director for this Meredith owned CBS affiliate. He first joined KMOV in 2008 as an EP, was later promoted to Assistant ND, and has been the interim ND since SEAN McLAUGHLIN left earlier this year to become VP/News for Scripps. Brian’s previously worked at KDNL-TV in St. Louis (which no longer has a news department), as well as in Springfield, MO, and Lancaster, PA. Brian tells me he’s from O’Fallon, IL, part of the St. Louis metro area, and grew up on Thouvenot Lane in a home built by his great grandfather. His Mom still lives in that house, and Brian and his family also live on Thouvenot Lane.

Ortega

WDAM-TV, Hattiesburg, MS…another promotion here finds NICK ORTEGA moving from evening weathercaster to news director for this Raycom owned NBC affiliate. (The station carries ABC programming on a digital channel.) Nick joined the station as a reporter in 2003, eventually moved to evening weather in 2007, and has captured four “Best Weathercast” awards from the Mississippi AP Broadcasters. He replaces RANDY SWAN who is stepping down as news director but will continue to anchor for the station and also launch an investigative unit.

Paid Help Wanted Ads:

News Director, WOI-TV, W. Des Moines, IA:

WOI-TV, a Nexstar Broadcasting station in Des Moines, Iowa, is looking for a “hands on” News Director. If you are looking to advance your career and have a true passion for news this is a wonderful opportunity.
The successful candidate will possess:

3+ years as a News Director

Strong skills in covering local news that matters

Understand and embrace digital first

Sense of urgency to deliver the best and most accurate newscast in the market

Strong dedicated leader who will mentor and coach the gathering and writing of news content

Strategic thinker and organized

Des Moines is the State Capital and the largest DMA in Iowa. Des Moines was voted #1 by Forbes as “Best City for Business & Careers”, voted #1 by The Business Journal as “Best Midwest City for Young Adults”, voted #1 by Kiplinger as “Best City for Families”.

Executive Producer, KTVA-TV, Anchorage, AK:

KTVA CBS11 News in Anchorage, Alaska, is looking for an Executive Producer.

The ideal candidate has a minimum of five years producing experience with an eye for detail and a desire motivate and inspire others.

You’ll help reporters and producers look beyond press conference podiums and get to the heart of stories that impact Alaskans. At your disposal: two microwave trucks, a sat truck, two flyway sat units and a healthy travel budget. All are needed to cover this vast state in which we live.

Beyond the flashy words and equipment it comes down to this… the person for this position is someone who can pay attention to detail while multi-tasking. The reward: producing special project programming. Those include Iditarod, Arctic Winter Games, elections and election prep programming.

Politics are the state sport of Alaska and our elections quickly get the attention of the lower 48. You could be at the helm of that coverage!

Exec. Prod. of Digital Media, KTVU-TV, San Francisco/Oakland, CA:

KTVU Channel 2 has an immediate opportunity for an Executive Producer of Digital Media who will oversee the station’s strategy and execution of digital coverage on all platforms.

The Executive Producer of Digital Media will have oversight of the design and functionality of all digital products. The successful candidate will also ensure there is collaborative and effective marketing across all platforms. Previous success growing website, mobile and social media views/visits is essential, and experience improving performance from metrics is a must.

The successful candidate must be familiar with basic HTML coding and use of a publishing system. This position includes having a hands-on role in creating and posting content, working on sales initiatives, and sending out breaking email, text and push alerts.

Five years’ experience in a similar role, preferably in a television newsroom, is required.

ASSIGNMENT MANAGER:

MANAGING EDITOR:

Situations Wanted:

We offer a free situations wanted ad to news managers who are looking for a new opportunity. If you’d like to state your case to a well targeted audience, email me an item (max. 150 words). You may include a link to a website, an email address, and a photo. You must include your name. I’ll run it for one week. I don’t represent or endorse those listed, but merely trying to help.

Names in the News…and other things:

Congratulations to DAN DEVLIN and our friends at Devlin Design Group for their third consecutive victory in the Set of the Year competition conducted by NewscastStudio.com. This year DDG was honored for the set created for KTVA-TV in Anchorage. Read more about the honor…and check out pictures of the award winning set…by clicking here. Dan, as you know, has been a longtime supporter and advertiser in this newsletter.

Our Full List of ND Openings:

Here is my list of stations with open ND jobs, as of Friday, May 2, 2014.